Pope Leo Expected to accept Cardinal Dolan’s resignation; Bishop Hicks may be named successor: December 17, 2025
Having submitted, as required, his letter of resignation in February, numerous news outlets are reporting that Pope Leo has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Dolan, and will appoint Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet as his successor.
Having submitted, as required, his letter of resignation in February, numerous news outlets are reporting that Pope Leo has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Dolan, and will appoint Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet as his successor.
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Pope Leo Expected to accept Cardinal Dolan’s resignation; Bishop Hicks may be named successor
Numerous news organizations are reporting that Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Timothy Cardinal Dolan. As all bishops do at the age of 75 Cardinal Dolan submitted his letter of resignation in February on his 75th birthday. (Canon 401, paragraph 1 says this: “A diocesan bishop who has completed the seventy-fifth year of age is requested to present his resignation from office to the Supreme Pontiff, who will make provision after he has examined all the circumstances.”
A native of Saint Louis, Cardinal Dolan has been a a pastor, Seminary Rector and professor, and as bishop has served as an auxiliary in Saint Louis, archbishop of Milwaukee, and since 2009 was the Archbishop of New York. In 2012, he was named a cardinal.
Known for his sense of humor and down to earth style, Dolan was a popular figure in New York. He became a presence on social media and podcasts. He participated in two conclaves, the one that elected Pope Francis in 2013, and the recent conclave that elected Pope Leo in 2025. Some suggested that Cardinal Dolan advocated for Pope Leo’s election, especially among cardinals from the Americas.
The recent past has been tough for the Archdiocese of New York. A few days ago, the Archdiocese of New York announced the sale of the land below the Lotte New York Palace Hotel for $490 million. The sale of the Archdiocesan Headquarters on the east side for $100 million was announced last year. The proceeds will go to fund a $300 million fund for survivors of sex abuse.
The expected successor is Bishop Ronald Hicks of the diocese of Joliet. A former vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Hicks was ordained an auxiliary bishop of Chicago in 2018. In 2020, Pope Francis appointed Hicks the bishop of Joliet.
Like many dioceses around the United States, the diocese of Joliet has experienced the closing of parishes. Twenty parishes were closed in 2025. In 2024, the diocese also announced the closing and amalgamation of parishes.
Like Pope Leo, Bishop Hicks, spent time during his priesthood serving outside the United States. According to the Diocese of Joliet, “In July 2005, with permission from Cardinal Francis George, Bishop Hicks moved from Chicago to El Salvador to begin his five-year term as regional director of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) in Central America. NPH is a home dedicated to caring for more than 3,400 orphaned and abandoned children in nine Latin American and Caribbean countries.”
New outlets are reporting the announcement could come from the Vatican as early as this week.
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